Sydney Eat Street: Best restaurants open on Easter long weekend
Sick of cooking at home or don’t want the stress of having people over for Easter? Here are some of the best restaurants open over the long weekend.
Eat Street
Don't miss out on the headlines from Eat Street. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Take a tour of Sydney’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram. #SydneyEatStreet
THE GANTRY
Discerning diners from near and far to experience the culinary creativity of award-winning chef, Thomas Gorringe but for him, he’s all about keeping things closer to home.
As a champion of artisan producers and local suppliers, Gorringe’s market-fresh menu is guided by the season’s bounty.
However, in the spirit of Easter, he’s added a decadent chocolate dessert inspired by the classic Cadbury Crème Egg.
“We wanted to do an up-market version of it, but rather than just having fondant on fondant and something sweet with no contrast, so we decided upon a passionfruit ‘yolk’ centre with a white chocolate mousse,” he says.
Call it fate or good fortune, but he knew he was onto a good thing when he came across the chocolate for the shell: Valrhona Itakuja 55 per cent dark chocolate made with fermented Brazilian passionfruit.
In keeping with the egg-theme, you can also indulge in premium caviar with classic service (accompaniments of chopped hard-boiled egg yolks, egg whites, chives, creme fraiche, capers, and red onions), which Gorringe himself brings to your table to explain each element and even stay for a chat — after all, he admits that caviar just happens to be one of his favourite indulgences as well.
These special Easter items are available through April, including lunch and dinner sittings, Friday, April 2 to Sunday, April 4.
— Pier One, 11 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay; thegantry.com.au
KITCHENS ON KENT
From seafood to sweets, the vast assortment of food paired with fine-dining service is Kitchens on Kent’s solution to the buffet conundrum.
“Kitchens on Kent is now an endless degustation experience,” executive chef Stephen Lech says.
“Post-COVID, we’ve had to adapt the way we serve cuisines from our eight international kitchens direct to the table.
“Guests can now order unlimited dishes from our Buffet to Table menu, all of which is presented in an a la carte style and brought straight to you and your guests.
“We’re thrilled to bring a more refined and personalised service to our customers.”
With an open kitchen, guests can still observe chefs shucking Sydney rock oysters, braising roasts and tossing stir-fry in hefty woks, but the tedium of balancing plates on the way back to your table has vanished as your heart’s (or tummy’s) desire is brought to you.
The special Easter Feast, which showcases their premium seafood selection, will run from Friday, April 2 through Sunday, April 4, with both lunch and dinner sittings. ($168 per adult, includes beverage package; $59 per child 4-12 years, complimentary dining for under 4 years).
— The Langham, Sydney; 89-113 Kent St, Millers Point; kitchensonkent.com
ALMA AVALON
Whether you linger over a long lunch or have a feast for dinner, Easter is a time for family and friends, but for those far away from the ones they love, the next best thing is to celebrate Down Under, sharing cultural traditions, and of course, food.
Such is the case for Ricardo Minor, head chef at Alma Avalon, who hails from Mexico.
He explains that in his home country, Easter is comprised of a two-week holiday – Semana Santa (Holy Week).
“The Easter period is a really significant time of year for Mexican families, we don’t consume meat over this period. Instead, we typically choose to cook whole fish as the focal point of the meal to which other dishes are built around,” he says.
Thus the featured dish, Pescado a la Sal – New Zealand whole bream, epazote rub, salt crust wrapped, wrapped in banana leaves, fresh garden salad, citrus vinaigrette – for $50.
To complement that, they’ve also created a special Easter cocktail.
“Australians are a little more hesitant to have Mezcal neat, so Christian, our bar manager, has created a cocktail by infusing the Mezcal with Thyme and added a touch of agave to make it more approachable.”
For your Mexican Easter experience, pre-book via The Fork for lunch or dinner from Friday, April 2 to Sunday, April 4.
— 47 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon; almaavalon.com.au
BODHI RESTAURANT BAR
It’s hard work hopping around with a chocolate-laden basket all day, so no-one would begrudge the holiday hare a bit of a breather and treat under the mighty Moreton Bay fig trees that shade Bodhi Restaurant Bar.
Here, at Australia’s longest-running vegan restaurant, their yum cha menu continues to receive high praise from diners of every dietary denomination and come Easter, head chef Brooke Ng’s sweet treats exemplify her plant-based prowess.
“When thinking up an Easter special, the first thing that came to mind was eggs. But as we don’t cook with eggs at Bodhi, being a vegan restaurant, I knew I would need to get creative,” Ng says.
“So I came up with the Vegan Crème Egg ($21) – a vegan dessert inspired by one of Australia’s favourite Easter treats. The egg yolk is made with calamansi curd: the citrus cuts through the sweetness of the dark chocolate eggshell and crème Chantilly.”
There’s also a nod to Mr Rabbit himself, the Bunnies Go – bunny-shaped yum cha treats made with sweet coconut, vegan milk chocolate, water chestnut and hazelnut. ($10).
These special treats are available for lunch and dinner settings, Saturday, April 3 and Sunday, April 4. (Bookings essential).
— 2-4 College St, Sydney; bodhirestaurant.com.au
FRATELLI FRESH
While that Easter egg hunt is all fun and games, putting out a lamb roast for later on is serious business.
So whether you’re happy staying home for lunch or looking for an afternoon out and about, Fratelli Fresh has you covered with their Easter Feast featuring a melt-in-your-mouth 12-hour slow-cooked lamb shoulder.
Served with rosemary roast potatoes, honey-roast vegetables with brown butter and toasted almonds, mint salsa verde and gravy, it could easily feed a few people, but why not go full family-style, surround it with other dishes to share around the table.
Plus, you can end the meal on a sweet note, as the feast also comes with Tiramisu for dessert.
This fantastic is available for lunch and dinner dine-in or pick-up /takeaway, but you’ll need to act fast as pre-orders are essential and must be placed by Thursday, April 1 at 10am.
When dining in, $39 per person with a minimum of two-people when dining-in or $79 for takeaway, which you can pick up from Friday, April 2.
— Various locations; fratellifresh.com.au
IIKO MAZESOBA
For those stalking the Easter Bunny just waiting for the right moment to grab some chocolate, you might be surprised to see him pop into IIKO Mazesoba while making the rounds.
No, it’s not necessarily for a ramen lunch break, rather that he’s just gotten word of a collaboration between ramen enthusiast, Basil Cook and IIKO Mazesoba in which they’ve created a seasonal special of chocolate noodles and a chocolate version of the thick house-made sauce.
It’s both a sweet and savoury combination that pairs the aroma of cocoa with the smokiness of IIKO Mazesoba’s signature seared pork belly. The dish is available from March 29 through to April 10.
— 86 Hay St, Haymarket; mazesoba.com.au
SONOMA BAKERY
Every Easter, there seems to be a glut of Hot Cross Buns; they start showing up in groceries right after Christmas, followed shortly thereafter by every pâtissier’s “twist” on the traditional – usually something Instagram-able that involves lollies and fairy floss.
But for true aficionados, nothing beats a traditional hot cross bun made perfectly by a passionate baker such as Andrew Connole, founder of Sonoma Bakery.
To make his legendary buns, he starts with a dough that is sweet and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and once baked to fluffy perfection, brushed with a house-made syrup steeped with spices and Sonoma’s own coffee beans, finishing off with a signature “S” on top; thus the name “Not” X Buns.
There are two versions to be had; the classic one with a blend of dried fruit such as raisins, sultanas, candied orange, cranberries & apricot; and the chocolate version is made with a decadent Belgian Dark chocolate produced by self-sustaining farmers.
For those whose bread goes well past these Easter treats, it’s worth catching Andrew in a new SBS Food series that sees him travel the globe to discover the people, places and stories behind some of the world’s best bread.
— Various locations and pop-up shops; sonoma.com.au
CARTEL
Though international travel is off the books, you can still get in a quick visit to South America by heading down to Kensington St in Chippendale to get a taste of the continent’s (remember, it is indeed a continent) vast and varied cuisines prepared by chef Arnolfo Raimondi (Eastside Bar & Grill and Gavroche Chippendale).
On Good Friday, pop in for Rainmondi’s prawn tacos served with a traditional sauce made from pumpkin seeds, or linger over a long lunch on Sunday when they’ll be serving Cordero de Pascua (slow-braised with Mexican spices and served on house-made tacos. There’s also a stellar range of creative cocktails made by Grant Collins (Gin Lane, Potato Head Bali, Ku De Ta/W Bali) specifically to compliment the South American flavours. Open Friday, April 2 to Sunday, April 4.
— 2 Kensington St, Chippendale; cartelkensingtonstreet.com.au
EMPIRE LOUNGE
In typical Sydney-fashion, there’s no better way to soak up the last days of warm weather than sitting on a deck out over the waters, and Empire Lounge in Rose Bay has just what you’re after.
Open through the Easter long weekend, you can head in for cocktails and a seafood platter, or consider Champagne and Appellations oysters flown in by the adjacent Sydney Seaplanes, which regularly fly throughout the day.
So, consider, your experience not so much as an Easter outing but dinner and a show.
— 596F New South Head Rd, Rose Bay; empirelounge.com.au
WATSONS BAY BOUTIQUE HOTEL
If a lengthy lunch with the in-laws sounds too taxing, why not move your celebrations to the tres chic, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel.
This elegant venue, conveniently located adjacent to the ferry terminal, channels the Hampton’s casual elegance but with a relaxed Sydney vibe.
On Easter Sunday, April 4 and Easter Monday, April 5, the courtyard and patio will be transformed into the Veuve Clicquot Beach House with Champagne-centric promotions such as six freshly shucked Sydney rock oyster and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV or Rosé Champagnes ($165), or executive chef, Richard Slarp’s Clicquot Beach Picnic, which includes Sydney rock oysters, tiger prawns, Alaskan crab topped mussels, cooked Morton Bay bugs, and trout pâté with toasted sourdough and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV or Rosé Champagne ($239). Let the revelry begin.
— 1 Military Rd, Watsons Bay; watsonsbayhotel.com.au
HEARTS OF CUPID
This Easter show someone you care by giving them your broken heart. No, this isn’t a story of unrequited love, rather the tale of delicious palm-sized chocolate hearts filled to the brim with everything from Nutella and caramel to praline eggs and Oreos.
Because of their 3-D shape — which also includes bunnies and other characters — they’re much easier to break without a crumbling mess.
Plus you can personalise them, making the gift all that more special. Order quickly for Easter or just give an IOU for future delivery.
SYDNEY FISH MARKET
It’s the go-to for Sydney’s seafood stock-up, even on Good Friday when they run longer hours (5am-5pm) for that mad rush to pick-up prawns.
But for those who prefer to opt out of the kitchen, take note that the restaurants and eateries throughout the precinct including Doyle’s and Salty Squid Cafe are open for lunch, with others such as Fisherman’s Wharf Seafood Restaurant adding on dinner service till 10.30pm.
— Corner Pyrmont Bridge Rd & Bank St, Pyrmont; sydneyfishmarket.com.au
SOUL DELI
Every culture has its own traditions, but one thing they all have in common is that food plays a part in every celebration.
While housemade tofu and soybean stew seems a radical shift from an Easter roast, in Korea, it’s a family favourite placed in the middle of the table.
At SOUL Deli you’ll also find some more contemporary takes on Korean celebratory dishes such as the Omelette with Korean ‘caviar’, House-made hot cakes made Ottogi style (which can be topped with Korean Fried Chicken, and sweet corn kimchi pizza.
— Shop 1&2/185 Campbell St, Surry Hills; souldeli.com.au
DIN TAI FUNG
All too often, food that’s made to look cute and clever, doesn’t end up taking, well, like food anymore.
That’s never been the case with Din Tai Fung’s dumplings, and they’ve done it again with a special Hot Cross Bun – a pillowy-soft steamed bun filled with molten chocolate. Hurry in before they sell out.
— dintaifung.com.au for locations and online sales
SAKE
Many a legend begins with a scene shrouded in mist, but rather than the arrival of a fire-breathing beast this one has a happy ending with the grand reveal being Sake’s latest edition of its Dragon’s Egg dessert, a blue and gold shell made with white chocolate and filled with milk chocolate cream and banana cream.
It’s served on a cookie soil with fresh raspberries and honeycomb, then topped table-side with a generous pour of hot caramel to melt down the yummy chocolate. What a way to slay the dragon.
— The Rocks, Manly, Double Bay; sakerestaurant.com.au
Winter warmers to celebrate the season
Everyone is happy to see the sun peeking through the clouds, but winter’s not all bad. Bid farewell to the colder days with one last hurrah of warming fare.
Sniffing out Sydney’s best truffle desserts
Save the best for last. As truffle season comes to a close, be sure to indulge in some sweet treats featuring the annual earthy gem.